Injured hiker rescued near Mill Creek Watershed
By Dan Thesman on Monday, November 7th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – On Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 8:30 p.m., the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding an injured hunter in the Mill Creek Watershed east of Walla Walla. The injured man, Danny Rupp, 49, from Albany, Oregon, was reported to have a severe ankle injury and was unable to walk. The caller stated that they had the hunter’s location on GPS.
UCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) decided to begin the search in the morning due to darkness, the steep, rugged terrain and snow. Rupp was prepared to spend the night, appropriately dressed and had the ability to build a fire.
On Thursday, Nov. 3 at 4 a.m., SAR volunteers were called to begin the search for Rupp. Mutual aid from Union County, U.S Forest Service and Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council assisted in the search. A helicopter from the Oregon National Guard was also on standby.
A SAR team located Rupp at about 10 a.m. and reported that he was partially ambulatory and they would begin slowly walking down with him. Once they reached the bottom of the drainage area, around 6 p.m., a wheeled litter was used to transport Rupp back to a vehicle. They arrived safely at their vehicles about 8 p.m.
“This was a well-executed mission by all,” UCSO SAR Coordinator Sgt. Dwight Johnson said. “I am very proud of all of those who participated. It is my honor to be associated with such a dedicated group of people.”
UCSO thanks the SAR volunteers, the USFS crew who cut a trail from the bottom of the canyon up to Rupp, also to Union County SAR and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed staff who assisted in successfully getting Rupp safely down the mountain. Thanks also to Deputy Rowen Hays for helping Rupp’s family break down their camp so they could return home with him.
Photo via Umatilla County Search and Rescue
